Shiroyama Hotel Kagoshima — Hotel in Kagoshima

Shiroyama Hotel Kagoshima is nestled along a hill that offers a commanding view Sakurajima Island. We chose to stay here one night (before heading onwards to Myokan Ishiharaso the next day) because the location was convenient for us to tour Kagoshima city as well as Sakurajima itself (it's not far from the ferry port.)||We were initially hesitant - the hotel was originally built 60 years ago, and many hotels in Japan from that era show signs of wear and tear (if not downright neglect) inside, and are often an eyesore when seen from the outside. That's not the case here. They've done a good job keeping things in excellent condition.||Room rates range from just over 10,000 yen all the way up to 450,000 yen per night - this hotel truly has a vast array of room types to suit every budget. However, we were concerned that there would be compromises made in the overall experience (especially service), given their need to cater to wide range of clienteles. We booked two of the highest end rooms - a 75m² Japanese Garden Suite and a 66m² Junior Suite. The former had a modern Japanese aesthetic and was in very good shape, while the latter seemed to take inspiration from the Victorian era, but was not too "grandma-like" nor was it worn out in any way. The Japanese Garden Suite had the added benefit of an Onsen, although it needs to be said that the bath is not free-flowing or auto temperature-regulated; you will need to fill up the bath with Onsen yourself. Both rooms had great views of Sakurajima.||While we did not check out the facilities (such as the gym) but did do some exploring of the indoor common areas and also had dinner at Le Ciel, their signature Japanese-French restaurant, which was absolutely spectacular (highly recommended!) We also had the buffet breakfast - they had a nice spread and a good mixture of Japanese and Western selections. For a 355 room property, we were surprised that things were not as hectic as we've seen in other massive establishments, which was nice. Overall, the hotel is in good shape unlike some others from the same era that often have low ceilings, dark lighting, dark furniture and in dire need of maintenance and refurbishment.||Be aware that our two rooms were quite expensive, even by luxury hotel standards. But we did not feel cheated at all from staying here - instead, Shiroyama Hotel Kagoshima added to the memorable experience we had overall in Kagoshima, which is way more than we...

Shiroyama Hotel Kagoshima is nestled along a hill that offers a commanding view Sakurajima Island. We chose to stay here one night (before heading onwards to Myokan Ishiharaso the next day) because the location was convenient for us to tour Kagoshima city as well as Sakurajima itself (it's not far from the ferry port.)||We were initially hesitant - the hotel was originally built 60 years ago, and many hotels in Japan from that era show signs of wear and tear (if not downright neglect) inside, and are often an eyesore when seen from the outside. That's not the case here. They've done a good job keeping things in excellent condition.||Room rates range from just over 10,000 yen all the way up to 450,000 yen per night - this hotel truly has a vast array of room types to suit every budget. However, we were concerned that there would be compromises made in the overall experience (especially service), given their need to cater to wide range of clienteles. We booked two of the highest end rooms - a 75m² Japanese Garden Suite and a 66m² Junior Suite. The former had a modern Japanese aesthetic and was in very good shape, while the latter seemed to take inspiration from the Victorian era, but was not too "grandma-like" nor was it worn out in any way. The Japanese Garden Suite had the added benefit of an Onsen, although it needs to be said that the bath is not free-flowing or auto temperature-regulated; you will need to fill up the bath with Onsen yourself. Both rooms had great views of Sakurajima.||While we did not check out the facilities (such as the gym) but did do some exploring of the indoor common areas and also had dinner at Le Ciel, their signature Japanese-French restaurant, which was absolutely spectacular (highly recommended!) We also had the buffet breakfast - they had a nice spread and a good mixture of Japanese and Western selections. For a 355 room property, we were surprised that things were not as hectic as we've seen in other massive establishments, which was nice. Overall, the hotel is in good shape unlike some others from the same era that often have low ceilings, dark lighting, dark furniture and in dire need of maintenance and refurbishment.||Be aware that our two rooms were quite expensive, even by luxury hotel standards. But we did not feel cheated at all from staying here - instead, Shiroyama Hotel Kagoshima added to the memorable experience we had overall in Kagoshima, which is way more than we...

Everything at the Shiroyama Hotel is BIG. And impeccably luxurious in the classic European tradition (the doormen wear top hats). Now six decades old, the Shiroyama has been kept modern, polished, and beautifully appointed, inside and out. This hotel has plenty of everything — varieties of rooms, restaurants and bars, spas , onsens, and health facilities, stores, bakeries, boutiques, and, it seems, countless ballrooms and meeting rooms. All are of the highest order, as is the service.

The huge Shiroyama — 385 rooms — is nestled in a wonderful hilltop park overlooking Kagoshima, with scores of challenging walking paths. But for many guests like us, the main attraction is the view across Kinko Bay to the very active volcano Sakurajima. It’s staggeringly beautiful — which raises an important point: be sure your room is in the front of the hotel! We were almost put in a room on the hotel’s inland-facing backside (despite booking well in advance and being high ranking One Harmony members), which would have been a catastrophe. To the front, the vistas overlooking a wonderful fountain are quite breathtaking, day and night. Our medium-tier room was spacious, modern, and equipped with a large picture window and an attractively-renovated bathroom.

speaking of breathtaking, also pretty breathtaking is the breakfast buffet, laid out in a giant glass-walled room with a grand volcano vista and featuring miles and miles of buffet counters displaying myriad Japanese and western menu items being sampled by hundreds of diners (interesting note: on our two days there we were the only gaijin in the room). We cannot speak to the quality of the other restaurants except for the rather bland Cantonese restaurant, which gets a B-plus at best, although the decor was nice.

The Shiroyama provides a complimentary luxury shuttle bus to various locations down the mountain in Kagoshima, including a lift to the the Shinkansen station and to the ferry across to the volcano (a worthwhile junket, we thought, when you include the bus tour on the volcano side). All other services and amenities are top-notch, and if you like living big in southern Japan, the Shiroyama is a...